Chapter 22: Team Player

"Quiet, everyone, authority and superiority approaches!" I yell at Melinda and Dean as I barge into my private office – the one that they happen to occasionally occupy at the same time as me. "Your chief photographer, your boss, your life, your everything, has just arrived."

"Great. The gutter rat is here," Melinda chirps in her annoying, nasally voice. "And you're half an hour late...again."

"I was busy!" I retaliate with a lie – I overslept, and Jay had to wake me up about a bazillion times.

"Shut it, Furby! I'm trying to levitate over here!" Dean shushes me, unfazed by my 'late' entrance.

I glance over and spot him sitting on Melinda's table in a meditation pose – legs crossed, eyes closed, and hands together as if he's praying. In all fairness, if I was stuck alone in the office with Melinda, I'd be praying too.

"Firstly, it's Boss Lawson," I correct him. "Secondly, why are we trying to meditate in the same room as Melinda? That spells disaster. You won't find any peace when she's in close range," I share my wisdom with him. "I feel like you should know that by now."

"You're not going to float, you idiot! And if by some miracle you suddenly do, I hope you float off this planet!" the one in questions raises her voice at Dean. "Now, move! You're ruining my photos!"

Case in point.

"No," Dean refuses her flatly and simply.

Infuriated, Mel shoves him out of his pose and off her work. "You're so stupid, Wyatt! I just organized this table!"

"I rest my case, Deanie," I say and take a seat at my table. There's nothing like a morning of fun at work to distract me from life's problems.

Dean decides to do the decent thing and gets up from her table. "I'm sorry, Mel. As—"

"Don't call me that!" she hisses angrily.

"As a gesture of goodwill," Dean continues calmly and hands her a thick stack of pictures, "I offer up these beautiful photos to add to your shrine. Consider it an official apology, Mel."

Melinda skims through the photos before crinkling up her nose and tossing her ginger hair over her shoulder. "Gross! Why would I want selfies of you and the drowned rat pulling crazy faces?! Those aren't going anywhere near my mantle!"

I shake my head at her. "Tch. You're ungrateful."

Melinda narrows her gaze. "How many photos did you two morons take? There're like a bajillion here! Do you guys even do any work?"

I shrug. "Is too much of a good thing really a bad thing? I think not, Mel."

I'd be grateful for a thousand photos of my face...

"Stop calling me that! You're not even my friends!"

"Alright, alright, Mel, I'll stop calling you 'Mel'. Ms. Grumpy is more fitting anyway," I reply, making peace with her like the true peacemaker that I am. "Personally, I think Dean's gesture of goodwill was very...endeaning," I add with a serious face.

Melinda runs both hands through her hair, frustrated. "You did not just say that."

I stifle a laugh. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Aww yeah!" Dean fist-bumps me, catching on. He hops up to sit on my table and turns to face me, his brown eyes meeting my own. "Moving on from Mel, how are you doing on this fine day, pretty lady?" he flirts shamelessly.

Before I can answer him, Tim waltzes in with Tia on his hip and rudely interrupts us. "Oh, good! You're finally here!" he says while looking at me, clearly relieved – now, this is the kind of welcome I could get used to.

"Timmy!" I clap my hands in excitement. "I always love your visits to my office, my humble abode. They're always few and far between." I suspect there's a reason for that, but I just can't put my finger on it.

"Our office," Melinda corrects me before tossing a quick glance at our boss. "Timmy—I mean, Tim, Aqueela was late again," she is quick to play tattletale.

And I'm apparently the rat among us...

"Not now, Dedic. It's been a long morning. I already have a migraine. Don't add to it," he replies, brushing off her complaints. I can only assume that he's having trouble with Tia's mom again. He always gets like this when they're having an argument.

"Yeah, Dedic," Dean just has to rile her up further, "you heard Boss Timothy. Zip it. Zip your lips."

Irritated and not having it, Tim pushes Dean off my table. "Stop annoying everyone. At least pretend like you're working or that you care about this job, Wyatt."

"I'm not a good actor, Sir Timbo, but I will pretend to try on both accounts," Dean tells him, never knowing when to shut his big mouth.

Dimwit Tim stares at Dean for a solid second or two as if contemplating whether it's worth his time or not. He eventually just shakes his head and focuses his attention back on me. "Remember our deal?" he asks while handing Tia over to me. "Your boyfriend gets his car; you get my daughter."

I nod and happily hug Tia to my chest. "Hello, sugar blossom!"

I feel her tiny arms wrap halfway around me. "Hi, looney tune," she greets shyly, as adorable as ever.

"You remembered!" I cheer and give her a high-five.

"Yea," she giggles and hides her face in my neck.

Tim arches an eyebrow while taking in the scene. "You taught her that? She keeps saying that. I should have known," he retorts, suppressing a smile before handing me her baby bag.

"You can thank me later," I wave him off like it's no big deal and take the bag from him. "You are such a pretty girl, Tia," I tell Tim's daughter and softly ruffle her beautiful curls when she peers up at me with eyes that match her daddy's.

"Tank you," she responds with sweetness yet again. "You are also very pwetty."

I laugh when she starts playing with my hair, twirling locks around her tiny fingers.

Tim leans against the wall, watching the interaction for a bit before glancing over at me and clearing his throat. "She really loves you; you know?" he says, and this time, he openly smiles.

Tia nods, agreeing with her father. "Tia does. Tia does love you."

I internally 'aww', my heart swelling up in size. Children are so pure. "I love you too!" I hug her tightly but not too tightly that I hurt her. "So much!"

What is happening to me? Kids are making me weak...

Tim just continues watching us, his mood lifting. "This is a relationship I can get behind, one that has my seal of approval," he eventually tells me, his mind made up. "Just don't read any fairy tales to her," he jokes.

I nearly flip him off, knowing exactly what he's referring to. "Ha, ha."

"Alright, my turn!" Dean shouts impatiently and carefully snatches Tia away from me before Tim or I can protest.

I keep forgetting that Dean-bean loves kids. I must admit, from the little that I've seen, he's really good with them. He's going to make a great father someday, that's if he can stop getting himself arrested by his own father.

"Deanie," Tia greets him, smiling up at him in pure adoration.

Melinda frowns, confused. "When did all this bonding with the little person take place?"

"On Dean's initiation," I inform her, letting her in on what's what around here on my turf, on my terrain.

"Initiation?" Melinda and Tim ask simultaneously.

"We don't talk about initiation," Dean quickly answers them, aware that Timothy will probably fire us if he knew the truth – that being that Dean recklessly endangered all of our lives, including Tia's.

I nod at them. "Too much to divulge."

Tim just shrugs. "Whatever. I don't have time to care right now," he says before slipping out of my office to attend to 'more important' matters.

"I can be a team player, Wyatt, I promise. Please do go ahead and tell me about your initiation right this instant," Melinda orders him. "I want a full report on my desk, pronto!"

She won't dare use that tone of voice on me! She knows that she'll go flying off this planet herself if she did.

Dean merely snorts, amused by her bossy attitude. "Hate to break it to you, Dedic, but you ain't no team player. You're as solo as they come."

"Dean," she drawls his name, purposely using a softer, more feminine voice on him, "please," she begs while running her long nails up his arm, sending a visible shiver down his spine. She's changing up her tactics and I don't like it one bit.

I roll my eyes. "That won't work. He's stronger than that. Dean will never spill—"

"Aqueela got us stranded in the middle of nowhere," he immediately confesses, falling for her non-existent charm.

I slap my forehead and sigh. Tia copies me and does the same when Dean puts her down.

Melinda's eyes widen in realization. "I knew it! I'm telling Tim!" she shouts and runs for the door.

I react faster and kick it shut with my foot before she can escape. "Sit down, Malibu Barbie," I command, "and I promise to put in a good word with Tim for you."

Melinda bites her lip in thought before slowly sitting down, aware that I'm Timmy's favorite. "Fine," she reluctantly complies. "But you better actually do it."

I will.

It pains me to admit it, but Melinda is very structured and diligent in her work ethic. She's a respectable employee and not even I can take that away from her.

Dean, realizing his mistake and remembering who holds real power here, drops to his knees in front of me. "Forgive me, Furby, for I have sinned," he apologizes, kissing my hands repeatedly.

I flick him on the forehead. "You have brought me great shame, and you have brought great embarrassment upon this office."

"Tell him, midget. Put him in his place."

We all look up to see Landon casually standing in the doorway.

"Hide your girlfriends, hide your wives because Lan, the good-looking man, has just entered the building!" I exclaim in elation, recognizing those vibrant, green eyes anywhere.

"Stop it, you're running my image," he shushes me, unimpressed.

"What a pleasant surprise!" I say anyway.

"Well, it's no pleasant surprise that Dean is bringing shame upon everything and everyone that he touches. To be frank, walking in on a scene like this is exactly what I was expecting," Lan replies smoothly.

Dean rests his head on my leg and groans. "See. This is why I was meditating. I was mentally preparing for this agonizing visit."

"Don't kid yourself. You can't mentally prepare for anything," Lan tells him. "You've got bricks for brains."

Dean shoots him a look. "Those be fighting words, Lanny. Shots fired and I've been severely wounded."

"That's because you were the only target," Lan declares, at ease.

"Aren't you supposed to be rage quitting?" Dean mocks him on a sensitive topic. "Because, from my point of view, it looks like you're failing."

Lan's entire demeanor changes within a second. He cracks his knuckles threateningly and gives his friend a look that could kill. "Get wrecked, Wyatt."

"We can have a stare-down for as long as you want, champ, but I won't budge. So, keep giving me that scary look, I refuse to show any fear. In fact, you are amusing me. I'm hella amused by this," Dean shrugs him off, not worried in the slightest.

I guess it helps growing up with a raging lunatic...no offense to Lan.

I see Lan clench his jaw and that's when I decide it's time to intervene – I know how he operates by now, and we always narrowly avoid a death when it comes to him and his temper.

"Alright, Lan-the-man," I kick Dean off me and stand up, "we all know this dullard of ours likes to push his luck but there's no need for any casualties today."

"No need, no need," Dean hums after me in agreement, trying to save his own hide.

"But I love causalities," Lan argues with me, hard-headed and stubborn as always. He puts toddlers to shame; Tia is more emotionally mature than him.

This begs the question...why don't I have more pliable and weak-willed friends like Benley who I can easily manipulate?

"But not everyone loves blood, guts, and violence like you, Landon," I reply and fold my arms over my chest. I flinch for no one, not even for aggro Landon Ruthless Kitler.

He presses his lips into a thin line and weighs up my words in his head. "You don't? Huh? That's really weird of you."

"Yeah, for once I'm not the weird one here, buddy," I tell him bluntly. "It's all about context. At least, that's what Jay says."

Lan finally takes his frightening and stony glare off Dean and places it onto me instead. He squares his shoulders, challenging me, but eventually, and I mean eventually, backs down when I successfully hold my own.

"Yes! I win!" I fist-pump the air, satisfied.

Lan grins brazenly. "Only because you're a worthy opponent, Lawson, and I can respect that."

I smile up at him. "Hard same."

"Next time though, there will be casualties," he teases.

I shove him playfully and he laughs.

"That's fair," I agree.

"I don't think it is," Dean chimes in.

"Is it because you're always the casualty?" Melinda mocks him.

Dean blinks at her once, twice, three times, before looking away. "Maybe."

"Alright, enough of this, show Lan around already!" I exclaim, accidentally pushing Dean into Lan.

Dean agrees and takes Lan on a mini tour around our office. "This is my desk where I spend most of my time sleeping, or staring at Furbs when she's not looking, or trying to melt Mel's face with my lazor vision."

Lan nods, not bothered by what he's hearing. "Nice."

"And these are my amazing photos, my projects, if you will, that I'm always working so hard on," Dean shows off his work next.

"These pics are so fuzzy. I can't see anything. Are they all close-ups or something?" Lan asks, super honest as always.

Dean ignores him and proceeds on with the tour. "And this is the common space of the office where we meditate or do yoga," he points at Mel's desk, ignoring her protests. "And this is the love of my life's desk," he taps my desk twice, "where I often stand over her and ask many pointless questions while she's sitting just so that I can try and peek down her shirt."

I give Dean a sharp look and slap his arm. "I assumed you were just that dumb."

"You assumed correctly," Lan fist-bumps me.

"And this is my lunch that I'm gonna eat later," Dean goes on and points to the container of healthy food in our office fridge, ignoring Mel's protests yet again. "And lastly, this is the shrine where Aqueela and I pray to the gods to replace our current associate with a better associate."

"Great," Lan replies, amazingly undisturbed, before his gaze falls on me. "So, how is he really doing around here?" he asks. "Is he giving you as much trouble as he gave me at the garage?" he questions, sitting down at Dean's desk and making himself right at home.

"He doesn't always paint himself in the best light, but he tries," I answer him truthfully. "He's a trier."

His photos are also blurry AF, his lighting sucks, and the angles all wrong but I won't mention any of that.

"And a failure? Is he one of those?" Kitler questions and I almost feel like I'm being interrogated. Dean's life is apparently in my hands.

"No," I answer just as Melinda answers 'yes'.

I glance over at Dean. "Don't worry, you're doing great," I reassure him even though I don't mean it.

"Thanks, I'm aware," he replies, overly confident in his lack of abilities.

Melinda rolls her eyes at me. "You're such a liar."

I don't bother to deny it. "Sometimes, lying is necessary, but you wouldn't understand because you're not a true leader like me," I defend myself. "I lie in order to motivate, in order to get the best out of people...kind of like how I keep telling Dean that I'll promote him soon."

Dean's mouth falls agape. "You've been lying about that?!"

"Of course, she's been lying about that. Not only is she not going to promote you, but she also doesn't even have the authority to promote you. It's all up to Tim, moron," Melinda informs my slow friend.

Dean looks at me in shock. "I feel hurt by this revelation."

I mouth 'sorry' to him, sad that I accidentally let that slip. I hate that I'm the one who has to squash his confidence, but I think it's time, I think he's ready.

"You're completely useless at photography. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a promotion; I would hold it for being fired, though," Melinda jeers at him. "That's bound to happen soon."

At hearing her remarks, Landon glances over at the ginger-ninja in keen interest before spinning around once in Dean's seat for the fun of it. "Do tell me more, stranger," he orders while rolling the chair he's sitting on up to her.

"I've met you a few times now, Landon," Melinda huffs, taking offense.

"Oh," he shrugs in response, not sparing her feelings. "Not many people can make an impression on me. I've known Dean for years now, and he's still trying."

"It's not like I care." Melinda crosses her arms over her chest and angrily looks away.

And I'm the liar among us? I mean...I am...but I'm not the only one.

The popular girl from high school definitely takes offense when a guy like Landon keeps forgetting who she is.

"How do you not remember Melinda?" Dean asks Lan incredulously. "She did nasty things with Xave before he got together with Ems," he updates his friend, keeping Lan in the loop that he deliberately keeps cutting himself free from.

Melinda flushes red. "I hate you, Dean."

Lan shakes his head at Mel in disapproval. "You have poor taste. Bestiality is against the law, you know? Why are you attracted to non-human scumbags?" he asks her, point-blank.

He's not wrong; she is with Leban now.

"That beast, that non-human scumbag, is your brother-in-law and the father of your niece," I remind Lan-the-man while handing Tia some paper and pens to keep her busy. She doesn't need to be a witness to all this ugliness.

Landon winces at my comment. "Don't remind me. I don't like to think about it. I'll lose my will to live if I dwell on it for too long."

"Emma could have done worse," I inform him and subtly gesture to Dean who is currently tugging on Melinda's ponytail every five seconds like a kid in the third grade.

"True, very true," Lan agrees and then looks over at Melinda again, analyzing her while she swats away at Dean's wandering hands.

I follow Lan's gaze. "What are we looking at?"

"Thorman clearly has a type," he declares and then goes back to spinning around in Dean's chair – I guess they're both in the third grade together.

Dean overhears us and decides to join in on the conversation. "Xave does love himself a scoop of them redheads. I must admit, his type is hot," he says while still dogging Melinda's attacks on his life. "Em and Mel—"

"Stop talking now," I advise, predicting where this is going.

He continues anyway, "...are both total smoke shows in their own right. They're...." he stops talking when he sees Lan's face.

"I've been here for a total of..." Lan checks the time on his phone, "ten minutes and you're already testing my patience, Wyatt."

Dean ignores his friend and winks at Melinda. "Fire."

"Water, earth, air," I begin dramatically, "these are the four—"

Mel scoffs loudly and swats Dean a final time for good measure. "Didn't I reject you once already? Please don't make me do it again."

"I'm sorry but I can't be tamed. You're gonna have to," Dean sings, entertained by her reactions.

"I never know where I stand with you," she huffs, confused. "At least with Lawson, it's always the same."

I grin in pride. "I'm consistent as hell."

"Consistently rude and annoying," she agrees.

"Still consistent as hell," I brush her insults off with ease. "Prove me wrong."

"That's the whole problem, I can't!" she snaps at me. "Believe me, I wish I could."

I shrug. "Soo not my problem then. Don't make your problem mine."

"Because you are the problem! If I make my problem yours, it means handing you over to yourself! How are you not getting this?!" she yells, leaving me baffled, and then turns to yell at Dean too. "And would you stop touching my hair!"

Landon decides it's enough and gets up to forcefully yank his idiot friend away from the ginger-ninja. "Why do you always have to harass every single female in sight?"

Dean merely grins like an idiot. "Because, like Em and Mel, all females are hot."

This is, unfortunately, what we're working with...

"I wonder how Tex, or Flex, or Sex, or whatever the hell her name is, would feel about a statement like that coming from your mouth," Lan threatens him.

"I've told you a thousand times, her name is Bex, and I only use her for sex," Dean corrects Lan-the-man. "Get it right! And who, in their right mind, would even name their child that?!"

The corner of Lan's lips lift up into a grudging half-smile. "I don't know...freaks of nature who aren't in their right mind," he answers Dean. "I'm looking at two of them now," he gestures to both of us.

I smile at him, accepting his compliment. "Why thank you, Lan, but who even cares what T-Bex thinks?" I ask aloud. "Honestly, even Dean can do better."

I don't like anyone hurting people I love, and yes, that shockingly includes Benley and, of course, sweet Dylan.

"Okay, Furbs, I know you meant to stand up for me there but that kind of stung," Dean remarks jokingly and places a hand over his heart.

I check on Tia. Fortunately, she's still blissfully drawing, unaware of what's going on around her.

"Bex is not a good person, Dean. I don't want her to hurt you," is what I say in response. I've warned him countless of times, but he's assured me that he knows what he's doing and that there's no 'stringing along' happening.

"That is the cutest thing...you looking out for me." Dean grabs a staple and then drops to his knees before me. "Boss Lawson, Furby, Aqueela, from the moment I met you, I knew—"

"What are you doing?" Landon cuts him off.

"Trying to get hitched, what the heck does it look like?! I want a wife, I've always wanted a wife, and I've finally found her," he tells Landon, aggravated. "So, butt out of it!"

Landon's eyes flare up with rage. "You stupid—"

I pull him back before he can land himself up in prison.

"I've hardly been gone and I'm already walking in on a marriage proposal followed by a fight with someone who doesn't even work here. What has become of this office?" Tim sighs, making his presence known.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm--" I drawl out the word for as long as possible until he finally stops me.

"Just be quiet." He meets my hopeless gaze and hands me another bag. "I forgot to give you Tia's extra change of clothes. We're still working on the whole potty-training thing."

I don't believe me cleaning up her accidents was part of the deal...

"Daddy!" Tia shrieks a greeting at hearing his voice, thrilled to have him back.

You'd think she's been separated from him for a lifetime.

"Hey, baby," he greets her, his voice automatically taking on a gentler tone. "Are you being a good girl for Aqueela?"

She nods. "Yea. Very good."

"This I can confirm," I notify Tim. His daughter is practically an angel. Whatever he and his ex are doing, they're doing it right.

Tia toddles over to her dad and hugs his legs tightly. "I missed you so I drawed you a picture!" she happily tells him and reaches up to hand him the colorful paper.

Tim joins Dean on the ground in a kneeling position, but before his daughter and not me. "Wow, baby, that's beautiful," he lies – it's very poorly drawn. He points to a random scribble. "Is this a house?"

"Uh-huh. Two houses," she holds up two fingers to him just to make sure that he understands. "One house for Mommy and then uver house is for Daddy, Tia and Aleela. That Tia's room and that uver room is where Aleela and Daddy will sleep. And when the new baby comes out of Aleela's tummy, she will share my room wif Tia."

Oh, no...

Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!

Melinda shoots me a look and fakes a cough. "Homewrecker."

Dean slaps his forehead in dismay. "This baby is a mood-killer."

Landon reaches down and slaps Dean on the back. "Lawson is engaged to JT, and is apparently living with her boss, and expecting. Hard way to find out, and during your cheap proposal too. I'm embarrassed for you."

I bite my lip and reluctantly glance down at Tim, offering him a sheepish look. "Before you fire me, I have nothing to do with this."

Tim looks up at me and shrugs, sweeping it under the rug. "Kids will fantasize."

"And so will men," Dean has to speak. "Am I right, Timbo?"

Tim blocks Dean out and looks over at his child in concern. "Baby, Aleela lives in another house. You know that."

"But Mommy said on the phone to her fwend that Aleela will live with Daddy and Tia soon," she states more than asks, genuinely as befuddled as I am.

"Ah, from the mouth of babes," I clap my hands and decide that now's a good time to pin it all on Tim. "Looks like I'm in the clear for once."

"Baby, that's not the case. Aleela can't come live with us," Tim takes it upon himself to crush his daughter's heart.

"Why?" Tia asks softly.

Tim furrows his brows in thought before coming up with something. "Do you remember that story Daddy told you about? The one with the prince?"

She nods. "Yea. Tia does wamember."

"Well, Aqueela, I mean, Aleela, is a princess who has already found her prince. She'd be very sad if we took her away from her prince," he carefully explains.

Dean smirks at Tia. "He's talking about me, kid. I'm the prince."

"Quit running your mouth," Landon smacks Dean upside the head...again.

"But Daddy needs Aleela. Daddy doesn't have a pwincess anymore," Tia pouts as her eyes well up with tears. "And Mommy has no more pwince."

I feel for children who come from broken homes. It's takes a toll on them, as little as they might be.

"Aww, Tia..." Dean falters, hating the sight of her crying just as much as I do. "Pwinces and pwincesses are overrated, anyway."

"It's okay, baby." Tim takes Tia into his arms and stands up. "I'm sorry, Aqueela."

"It's fine, Tim. Chill." I don't know what else to say. I'm still a bit rattled.

"This is so unprofessional from my side," he says, barely able to maintain eye-contact with me. "Tia talks about you a lot and my ex must have assumed you were my.... Anyway, I'll set this right. I have no idea why she'd get Tia's hopes up like this."

"It's all good, Timmy," I wave the matter off like he initially did. "No harm, no foul."

"I'm going to rather take her for today," he motions to Tia cuddling into his chest, "and explain everything properly to her. Thanks anyway, though."

I nod. "I'm sorry, Tim. I didn't know that's what she was thinking about me. If I knew, I would have—"

"Her home circumstances aren't your fault, Aqueela," he talks over my apology, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. "She doesn't see her mom that often, so any feminine company is always welcomed by her. She gets attached very easily and very quickly."

I step toward Tim and place a kiss on Tia's head. "Bye, looney tune."

My words seem to do the trick. She giggles into Tim's neck and stops sniffling for a second. "Bye, looney tune."

Tim smiles warmly at me. "Thank you."

"You're the best dad," I tell him, meaning it. I feel like he needs the encouragement right now.

"That means a lot," he replies, getting ready to leave. "I don't trust people with Tia easily," he says while picking up her bag and gathering her things, "but you're a different story. You're so great with her."

I'm about to reply when he continues talking:

"Before we leave here," he glances from me to Melinda to Dean to Dean and to Dean again, "just an official warning, any employees who prove themselves to be obsolete over the next few weeks, will have to be let go."

I watch them walk out, feeling bad for Tia. The poor kid has it rough. She's in the middle of this feud between her parents and it's not fair.

"Did you hear him, Mel? I sure hope you were listening. That was him preparing you for your grand exit," Dean's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"That warning was clearly directed at you, the one who's busy proposing to a fellow colleague during work hours and the one who brought a stranger into the office!" Melinda shouts at him, seething.

"See! You even agree that we're strangers," Lan points out to Melinda, getting himself involved.

"You're a stranger to this office, is what I meant," Melinda corrects him before groaning in frustration.

"All I'm saying is that I'd be scared if I were you," Dean continues down the warpath. He's chosen violence today, and he's chosen well.

However, Melinda isn't taking his chirps lying down. "And if I were you, I'd do the world a favor and step in front of a bus. If Tim wants to delete the obsolete, he needs to delete you!"

"My knee is killing me," Dean comments loudly, choosing to drop the argument for now.

"I wish it really would," Lan sasses him, and this is him in a good mood.

"Would you give me an answer already, Furby, so that I can get up? That's if I can still get up – pins and needles, pain, numbness, you name it," Dean grumbles, reminding me of why he's on the floor. "You're, hands-down, the worst woman to propose to. Respect to JT. He must really love you."

He really does.

I'll have to be gentle with this giant pre-teen. I pat Dean's head and sigh in pity. "Rise, child," I command, completely in control of the situation.

Dean obeys and manages to get up after first struggling for a second or two. "Don't turn me down after I've just suffered for you," he says, reading me expression. "When have I ever steered you wrong?"

"On the initiation," I immediately answer him. "You literally steered us in the wrong direction. If we didn't find that radio tower by chance, we might have..." I whisper dramatically, "died."

Melinda gasps aloud, stunned by the news.

"Or perhaps resorted to cannibalism," I add.

"And now I've lost interest again," Melinda goes back to arranging her neat desk, knowing my antics well.

Dean stares at me blankly before slowly clearing his throat. "That doesn't even sound that bad."

Landon shakes his head at him. "You're an idiot."

"You know what," Dean suddenly exclaims, "you don't have a choice in the matter. You're marrying me whether you like it or not!"

He attempts to force the ring, the one that he just made from a staple, onto my ring finger.

"If I can just first get this other, stupid ring off..." he tries to remove my engagement ring from my finger, "then we can be on our merry damn way."

I start laughing, unable to help it, and pull my hand away from him. "You make my day, Deanie."

"In return, you can make yourself my wife," he outwits me and reaches for my hand again. "At the very least, my office wife."

"If JT wasn't in the picture, I could actually see this one play out for you, Dean," Lan says calmly. "You're both nuts."

If Jay wasn't in the picture...what an awful thought...

Dean nods at his friend. "That, and Furby is clearly a stunner," he gestures over to me expectantly and so I deliberately flip my hair and strike a model pose. "Plus, she actually has a great personality," he motions over to me again and I point to the smile on my face and then wave at Landon.

"Yup, like I said, both nuts," Lan agrees, convinced of his own words. "And to be brutally honest, Lex is very forgettable."

She is?!

"Everyone is very forgettable to you!" Dean retaliates, annoyed. "But yeah, if Aqueela was single, I'm not gonna lie, I would be trying much harder to buy her goods. But JT beat me to the punch; she's sadly off the market now."

I nod. "Yup. I'm sold-out for life."

"Anyway..." Lan fumbles with his jacket pockets before handing me a slip, "this is for you," he says almost bashfully.

I take the slip from his hand, unsure. "Okaaayy..."

Giving things is very out of character for him. He's a taker, not a giver, not by a long shot.

"It's meant as a 'thank you' or whatever for taking in my stray and for giving him a warm place to sleep at during the day," he explains while rubbing the back of his neck, looking awkward. "I appreciate you helping him. Just make sure that he's still getting his vitamins in, and don't forget to take him for his yearly shots. And I'd suggest getting him chipped or castrated or something because he tends to wander when on heat and impregnate everything in sight."

I laugh and then read the slip. I automatically smile from ear to ear while processing how great of a friend, slash uncle, he is. "A voucher at Dylan's store?" I launch forward and embrace the temperamental maniac. "You're amazing, Lan! Thank you!"

"I can guess what you're going to spend it on," he teases, patting my back while reeling in discomfort at the close contact.

I pull away, still smiling. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Yeah, well, I can be nice sometimes," he retorts lamely.

I hold his stare and slowly cross my arms over my chest, easily seeing through him. "Sarah made you do it, didn't she?"

He nods. "One-hundred percent."

"Where's my gift?" Melinda cavils, glowering at Landon with an accusatory look in her eyes. "Dean tortures me daily. I deserve a gift far more than what the drowned rat does."

Lan swivels his gaze of jade onto her and shrugs. "I don't know what to tell you, Melissa..."

Melinda sucks in a deep breath before glaring at me as if it's all my fault. "Your entire friend group should be burnt at the stake together."

Lan just grins at her, unmoved by her jibe. "Squad goals, Miranda."

"Is it a myth? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman himself? No, it's just Lan-the-freaken-man!" I high-five him, ignoring the slam of the door as Melinda marches her way out.

Dean lets out a breath of relief. "Finally. I thought she'd never leave. That woman is obsessed with us."

*~**~*

Hey guys :)

Hope you liked this chapter!

1. What was your favourite part of this chapter? Why?

2. Your thoughts on Aqueela as a boss?

3. Thoughts on Tim as a boss?

4. Thoughts on Tia's relationship with Dean & Aqueela?

5. How do you think Tim would react to the 'initiation' if he knew?

6. Would you say Lan's anger-management lesson are paying off?

7. Thoughts on Landon and Dean's friendship?

8. Thoughts on Landon and Aqueela's friendship?

9. Do you agree that Dean would have been a worse option for Emma? Why or why not?

10. Do you think Dean and Bex will last? Why or why not? 

11. Thoughts on Tia's drawing? Is Aqueela to blame?

12. Would you agree that Tim's a good dad? Why or why not?

13. Do you agree that Dean and Aqueela would be great together in a Jay-less world?

14. Thoughts on Lan's gift?

Thank you for supporting me :)

~ CJ